Wall breaching attachment for fire hose

ABSTRACT

A fire hose nozzle is sharpened to a bayonet-like point at its forward end, thereby enabling the operator to gouge a pit or open a crack in a wall to be breached. A high pressure stream of water issuing from the nozzle and striking the pit or crack is sometimes effective through pressure alone to enlarge the surface opening and ultimately breach the wall. By injecting a charge of abrasive material into the high pressure water stream, the area of weakness formed by the pit or crack quickly enlarges and soon causes the wall to rupture and give way since the erosion of the pit or crack is greatly accelerated by the abrasive material entrained in the high velocity water stream.

United States Patent 191 Gendron 1 Oct. 2, 1973 1 1 WALL BREACHINGATTACHMENT FOR FIRE HOSE [22] Filed: Jan. 5, 1972 [21] App]. No.:215,478

[52] US. Cl 239/271, 51/321, 175/380, 239/288.5, 239/407 [51] Int. ClB051! 7/24 [58] Field of Search 239/271, 288, 288.3, 239/2885, 398, 427,407', 222/5; 51/321; 175/380 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2,813,753 11/1957 Roberts 239/271 2,040,715 5/1936 Smith 51/3212,348,402 5/1944 Miller 175/380 X 1,106,679 8/1914 Randall 1. 239/2712,176,577 10/1939 Tirrel1.... 51/321 2,489,097 11/1949 Luce 51/321 Smith239/288 X Barber 239/271 Primary Examiner M. Henson Wood, Jr. AssistantEXaminerMichael Mar Attorney-Robert G. West et a].

57 ABSTRACT Afire hose nozzle is sharpened to a bayonet-like point atits forward end, thereby enabling the operator to gouge a pit or open acrack in a wall to be breached. A high pressure stream ofwater issuingfrom the nozzle and striking the pit or crack is sometimes effectivethrough pressure alone to enlarge the surface opening and ultimatelybreach the wall. By injecting a charge of abrasive material into thehigh pressure water stream,

the area of weakness formed by the pit or crack quickly enlarges andsoon causes the wall to rupture and give way since the erosion of thepit or crack is greatly accelerated by the abrasive material entrainedin the high velocity water stream. 1

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures WALL BREACHING ATTACHMENT FOR FIRE HOSE Theinvention relates to improvements in fire fighting equipment used tobreach walls, partitions, dividers and the like.

It frequently becomes necessary in the course of fighting a fire toobtain access to an adjacent space separated from the fire fighter by awall in which there are no convenient window or door openings. Walls,whether of wood, masonry of of composite construction, such as stuccoand paneling or gypsum board and plaster, for example, are often verydifficult to penetrate. I-Ieretofore, hand axes and in some casesjackhammers have been required to breach the barrier, procedures whichare not only cumbersome and fatiguing, but also time-consuming.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a wall breachingattachment for a fire hose which is effective to initiate a surfaceweakness in the wall, in the form of a pit or a crack, then to place theweakness under great stress by directing a high pressure stream of wateragainst the pit or crack, and finally to abrade or wear away the wallmaterial adjacent the weakened area by introducing abrasive materialinto the stream flow so that the dynamic force of the water can readilyrupture the weakened portion of the wall and thereby provide access tothe adjacent space.

It is another object of the invention to provide an attachment of theforegoing kind which is relatively small, compact, light in weight andreadily maneuvered, yet which is rugged, durable and long-lived, andwhich in no way interferes with the operation of the nozzle itself.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a wall breachingattachment which is relatively inexpensive but is efficient inoperation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an at tachment whichcan be utilized to advantage in breaching walls, dividers and the likeof many different kinds and sizes.

It is another object of the invention to provide a generally improvedwall breaching attachment for a fire hose.

Other objects, together with the foregoing, are attained in theembodiments described in the following description and illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of one form of the device;

FIG. 2 is a median, vertical, longitudinal, sectional view of the FIG. 1form of device;

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, to an enlarged scale of thescreen gate retainer shown in FIG. 2; and,

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary median, vertical, longitudinal sectional view ofa modified form of abrasive material conductor, or injector, showing acanister discharging its contents into the injector.

While the wall breaching attachment of the invention is susceptible ofnumerous physical embodiments, depending upon the environment andrequirements of use, substantial numbers of the herein shown anddescribed embodiments have been made, tested and used and all haveperformed in an emimently satisfactory manner.

The fire fighting attachment of the invention, generally designated bythe reference numeral 12, comprises an elongated nozzle 13 extendingfrom an after, inlet end 14 to a forward, outlet end 16, at which pointa stream of water emerges through the discharge port 17 under conditionsof extremely high pressure and velocity. The dynamic force exerted by astream of water emerging from the customary fire hose is surprisinglygreat, and this attribute is taken advantage of in helping to rupturethe wall to be breached.

The after end of the nozzle is provided with a threaded connector 21 forengagement with a conventional fire hose coupling (not shown).

From the connector 21, the nozzle converges toward the forward end 16,the tapering walls 22 of the nozzle defining a converging channel 23which increases still more the velocity of the stream of relativelyincompressible water flowing therethrough.

Adjacent the upper forward end of the nozzle, the nozzle walls areshaped to form a bayonet-like point 26 which is driven against the wallwith great force so as to gouge out a pit or start a crack in the wall.Once the surface opening is provided, the full force of the water streamcan be directed toward the depression. In the fashion of an impulseturbine of the Pelton Wheel type, the reversal of water flow effected bythe pit extracts a large portion of the impact energy of the water. As aconsequence, even minute cracks and crevices in adjacent fractureplanes, or planes of weakness are discovcred" and quickly enlarged insize by the erosive effect of the high velocity water. Often, theabrading away of the wall material adjacent the initial pit or crackresulting from the water alone is sufficient to rupture the wall.

However, the wearing away process is greatly accelerated by introducinginto the high pressure water stream, at appropriate intervals, asuitable charge of abrasive material 31. The abrasive can be of lead orsteel pellets, or shot, comminuted hard refractory material, cast ironfragments, or the like. Crushed brittle materials not only afford theimpact effect, which serves to enlarge fractures surrounding thedepression formed by the bayonet point, but they also provide a veryeffective abrasive effort owing to the numerous sharp corners andprojections of the crushed fragments.

Serving both as a storage chamber and as a conduit for the abrasivecharge 31 is an elongated, fore and aft conductor 32, or injector,mounted on the upper portion of the nozzle wall in substantial fore andaft alignment with the bayonet point 26. The conductor 32 extendsangularly inwardly toward the nozzle axis from an after end 33 to aforward end 34. The charge 31 is introduced into the conductor 32through a mouth 36 and is injected into the path of the high velocitystream of water through an opening 37 in the nozzle wall 22. In the formof the device illustrated in FIGS. l-4, the mouth 36 can be selectivelycovered and uncovered by a swingable gate 41 hinged on a cross pin 42adjacent the bottom of the sloping face 43 on the after end of theconductor base 44. The gate 41 is formed by a bail 46 connected at itstwo bottom ends to the pivot pin 42, the upper portion of the bailbeing; covered by a screen 47 extending downwardly into abutment withthe upper surface ofa planar sliding gate 51 supported on the planarupper surface of the conductor base 44. The swingable gate 41 is movablebetween an open position, shown in broken line in FIG. 2, and a closedposition shown in full line in FIGS. 14. In closed, or covered position,the upper portion of the bail 46 detachably engages a detent member 48formed on the upper after end portion of the conductor.

The slidablc gate 51 is movable between a closed position shown in fullline in FIGS. 1-3 and an open position shown in broken line in FIG. 2,an upturned handle 53 at the after end facilitating movement of the gate51. In closed position of the gate 51 the forward end portion 53 of thegate covers the nozzle wall opening 37 and precludes the entry of theabrasive charge into the high pressure stream of water flowing throughthe nozzle.

By closing the swingable gate 41 after the abrasive charge is placed inthe conductor, the nozzle can be tilted upwardly to any desiredattitude. The closed screen gate 41 prevents the abrasive material frompouring back out through the mouth 36.

When it is desired to inject the abrasive charge 31 into the highpressure stream, the operator grips the handle 53 and slides the gate 51to open position. Gravity, but more particularly the reduced pressureresult 'ing from the swift flow of water past the opening 37 sucks thecharge 31 into the stream, at which juncture the abrasive materialundergoes great acceleration and is driven against the previouslyweakened wall area at a highly destructive velocity. The gate 51 isthereupon slid into closed position and, if desired, the screen gate 41can be swung open and a new charge of abrasive material from anysuitable container (not shown) can be introduced, followed by againsnapping the gate shut over the detent member 48.

For protection of the operator's hand while holding a pivoted foldablehandle 61 on the bottom forward portion of the nozzle, 1 have provided ashield 62. The shield deflects any abrasive material which bounces orricochets back from the wall after impact, and thereby keeps the handlearea free and clear of abrasive and abrasive-caused debris.

FIG. illustrates a modified form of device wherein the conductor 132, orinjector, can be charged by a canister 135 previously loaded withabrasive material 131. Just inside the mouth 136 of the conductor 132 ismounted a limit stop 140. Where the conductors inner walls are circular,the limit stop 140 assumes the form of an inwardly projecting ring. Thelimit stop 140 serves as a seat against which the forward margin 145 ofthe canister abuts when the canister is inserted in the conductor mouth136 preparatory to recharging the conductor with an abrasive load.

The canister 135 is constructed so that its walls 155 are collapsiblewhen a predetermined amount of force is applied against the base sealingplug 160, but are sturdy enough to retain the desired configurationunder ordinary handling. The leading, or forward, end of the canister135 is sealed by a star-shaped closure 165, or the like, similar to theclosure on the forward end of a shotgun shell.

The loaded canister is inserted into the conductor 132 until the leadingmargin 145 abuts the limit stop 140. At this juncture, the base of thepalm of the operators hand is firmly pushed against the base plug 160causing the walls to collapse in accordian fashion. In FIG. 5 the wallsare shown in their initial configuration, for the sake of clarity. Theforce is thereby transmitted through the contents against the insidesurface of the star closure. As force against the base plug 160continues to be applied, the star closure 165 is split apart, as

appears in FIG. 5, allowing the abrasive charge to pour into theconductor and thence through the opening into the high pressure streamof water in the nozzle. As before, the extremely high velocity flow ofwater instantaneously accelerates the abrasive particles and shoots themagainst the previously weakened area of the wall in a manner not unlikeshooting a charge of buckshot against a target which is close at hand.

A highly destructive impact force is thereby brought to bear against theweakened area, causing further cracks and pits. Simultaneously, thebombardment of the area by the abrasive particles quickly erodes theremaining wall material. The combination of the two forces soon resultsin breaching the wall.

It can therefore be seen that l have provided an attachment for a firehose which not only efficiently serves as a nozzle in the customary way,but which also enables the firefighter to utilize the deviceimmediately, if need be, for breaching a wall in a swift and convenientmanner.

What is claimed is:

1. A wall breaching attachment for a fire hose comprising:

a. an elongated nozzle extending from an after inlet end to a forwardoutlet end to direct the fiow of high pressure water in a predeterminedpath;

b. a fire hose connector mounted on said after inlet end of said nozzle;

c. an opening in the wall of said nozzle;

d. an elongated conductor mounted on said nozzle, one end of saidconductor being connected to said opening in said nozzle wall;

e. means for introducing abrasive material into the other end of saidconductor, the abrasive material being capable of being withdrawn fromsaid conductor and injected through said opening into said flow of highpressure water to increase the abrading capability thereof; and;

f. movable barrier means for controlling the movement of abrasivematerial located within said conductor, said barrier means including aslide gate translatably mounted on said conductor for selectivelycovering and uncovering said opening.

2. A wall breaching attachment for a fire hose as in claim 1 furtherincluding a hinged gate selectively covering and uncovering said otherend of said conductor.

3. A wall breaching attachment for a fire hose comprising:

a. an elongated nozzle extending from an after inlet end to a forwardoutlet end to direct the flow of high pressure water in a predeterminedpath;

b. a fire hose connector mounted on said after end of said nozzle;

c. an opening in the wall of said nozzle;

(1. an elongated conductor mounted on said nozzle, one end of saidconductor being connected to said opening in said nozzle wall;

e. means for introducing abrasive material into the other end of saidconductor, the abrasive material being capable of being withdrawn fromsaid conductor and injected through said opening into said flow of highpressure water to increase the abrading capability thereof; and,

f. barrier means for controlling the movement of abrasive materiallocated within said conductor, said conductor including limit stop meansfor abutting the leading margin of an elongated canister claim 3 whereinsaid elongated canister is collapsible, and the leading end of saidcanister is sealed by a closure capableof being ruptured as the afterend of said canister is urged forwardly against the load of abrasivematerial and the forward urgency of said load is transmitted to saidclosure.

1. A wall breaching attachment for a fire hose comprising: a. anelongated nozzle extending from an after inlet end to a forward outletend to direct the flow of high pressure water in a predetermined path;b. a fire hose connector mounted on said after inlet end of said nozzle;c. an opening in the wall of said nozzle; d. an elongated conductormounted on said nozzle, one end of said conductor being connected tosaid opening in said nozzle wall; e. means for introducing abrasivematerial into the other end of said conductor, the abrasive materialbeing capable of being withdrawn from said conductor and injectedthrough said opening into said flow of high pressure water to increasethe abrading capability thereof; and; f. movable barrier means forcontrolling the movement of abrasive material located within saidconductor, said barrier means including a slide gate translatablymounted on said conductor for selectively covering and uncovering saidopening.
 2. A wall breaching attachment for a fire hose as in claim 1further including a hinged gate selectively covering and uncovering saidother end of said conductor.
 3. A wall breaching attachment for a firehose comprising: a. an elongated nozzle extending from an after inletend to a forward outlet end to direct the flow of high pressure water ina predetermined path; b. a fire hose connector mounted on said after endof said nozzle; c. an opening in the wall of said nozzle; d. anelongated conductor mounted on said nozzle, one end of said conductorbeing connected to said opening in said nozzle wall; e. means forintroducing abrasive material into the other end of said conductor, theabrasive material being capable of being withdrawn from said conductorand injected through said opening into said flow of high pressure waterto increase the abrading capability thereof; and, f. barrier means forcontrolling the movement of abrasive material located within saidconductor, said conductor including limit stop means for abutting theleading margin of an elongated canister loaded with abrasive material,said limit stop means being effective to preclude the movement of saidcanister beyond said limit stop means and being ineffective to preventthe discharge of the abrasive material from said canister into saidconductor and toward said opening in said nozzle walls.
 4. A wallbreaching attachment for a fire hose as in claim 3 wherein saidelongated canister is collapsible, and the leading end of said canisteris sealed by a closure capable of being ruptured as the after end ofsaid canister is urged forwardly against the load of abrasive materialand the forward urgency of said load is transmitted to said closure.